Locking-fixture for trunks.



G. H. WHEARY.

Looms FIXTURE run mums.

[\PPLKCATIOh HLEU ILLY I, 1915 iilirectly by the lock bar.

GEORGE HENRY WHEABY, or nacmn, Wisconsin.

LOCKING-FIXTURE Fort TRUnKs.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY WVHEABY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the countylof Racine 5 and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locking-Fixtures for Trunks, of which the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in locking fixtures for trunks, more particularly trunks of the wardrobe type.

In trunks of the wardrobe type, one of the sections is usually provided witha number of drawers placed one above the other, and if the drawers are not locked in closed position they will slideback and forth in their places during transportation, and ulti 20 mately will injure ormar the face of the other trunk section, and other parts against which they strike. come by providing a lock for each drawer, but the separate locking and unlocking of the drawers obviously is a troublesome expedient.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the objectionable features mentioned and provide a locking fixture for trunks which is adapted to secure all of the drawers of a trunk in a very simple manner by means of a single lock, and also tie the horizontal walls of the trunk .together.

A further object is to so construct the locking fixture that it can be easily andmost expeditiously adjusted to the drawer section.

A further object is the provision of a construction wherein the lock itself is carried A still further object is to provide a collapsible or hinged form of lock bar, whereby, when it is not desired to use the bar, the members or parts thereof can be folded together and placed in one of the drawers ofthe trunk, and whereby further the upper member of the lock bar can be swung downwardly so that access may be obtained to the upper drawers, without the necessity of disconnecting the entire bar.

With the above primary, and other inci-- dental, objects in view, the invention consists of the devices and parts, or the equivalents thereof, as hereinafter more fullyf'set,

5 forth- This trouble may be over- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 12,1916. A

Application filed July 1, 1915. Serial No. 37,406.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 'isa front View of a'wardrobe trunk provided, with the improved locking fixture, a

fragment of the wardrobe section being shown 1n dotted lines,,and also shown swung to open position, and furthermore showing in dotted lines the look bar as engaged at' its lower end but its upper end swung to the right out of engagement; Fig. '2 is a vertical sectional view on-the line 2'-2 of Fig.

1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the

' said figure also showing by dotted lines the upper portion of the lock bar swung out wardly; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows; Fig. 4 isfa horizontal section on the line t-i of Fig. 1, looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a detail edge view of the upper portion of the lock bar, showing the locking mechanism carried thereby.-

Referring to the drawing, the numeral tl indicates the drawer section of a wardrobe trunk, and 7 the wardrobe section thereof.

' The drawer section is divided horizontally medially by a partition '8 to reinforce the trunk. Drawers 9 are slidably positioned in the drawer section above and below the partition 8, and are supported by and are slidable on anglebrackets 10 fastened to the side walls of the drawer section;

The lock bar for locking all of the drawers is indicated by the numeral 11. The lower end of this bar is reduced as indicated by the numeral 12, and said reduced-end is adapted to releasably fita slot 13'formed in a short arm 14. projecting outwardly from the bottom of the drawer section of the trunk. Y I

' A bracing arm 15 fastened to the front portion of the medial partition 8 projects" outwardly therefrom, and on one side edge is provided with an inwardly-extending slot 16, into which the locking bar is swung to prevent outward movement thereof.

The upper portion of the front of thev uppermost drawer 9 is cutaway, as indicated by, the numeral 17 and in thiscutaway portion is secured an inwardlydepressed plate 18, the depression thereof forming a space to receive the lock 19 car ried at the upper end of the lock bar. The

upper portion of the lock bar is formed with a key-hole 20 registering with the key-hole of the lock, to provide for the insertion of a key 21in the lock. The bolt of the lock is indicatedby the numeral 22, and in looking position this bolt extends through an open.- ing in the plate 18 and enters a bolt recess 23, formed on the under side of the top of drawer section 6. While the locking bar-11 may be a continuous bar, yet I prefer to con struct the same of two sections hinged together at 24L. By this provision, when it is not desiredto use the bar, the two sections or members thereof can be folded together and placed in one of the drawers of the trunk. Furthermore, by forming the'bar of 'the lock, bar.

two members hinged together, access can be obtained to the uppermost drawers, merely by unlocking the upper bar member and turning it outwardly on its hinge, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this way provision is made for access'to the uppermost drawers without the necessity of re moving or detaching the entire lock bar structure. In adjusting the bar to place, the lower reduced end 12 of said bar is first inserted through the slot 13 of-arm 14. The two sections or members can thenbe opened out to a vertically alined position, and then swung inwardly from the dotted line position shown in Fig. '1' to cause the edge of the lower member to be broughtinto engagement with the open-ended slot 16. The entire bar is next pulled upwardly until the lock 19 is broughtinto registration with the recess of the plate 18. The upper member then pushed inwardly from its dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 into engagement with the recess. The key 121 being turned the bolt 22 of the lock is forced into the bolt recess 23 so as to lock the bar, and thus look all of the drawers against being pulled out,-

wardly. The recess of the plate 18 not only ail ords space for the accommodation of the lock, but furthermore acts as a support for Attention is alsodirected to the fact that the engagement of the edge of thclower member of the lock bar with-the.

open-ended slot'ofthe bracing member 15 prevents the lock bar from being bulged or forced outwardly] If this slot 16, orits equivalent, were not provided, the lock bar would be caused to be bulged or bowed out-,

wardly whenever the trunk is tilted, or.

whenever the drawer section of the trunk is uppermost, with the-wardrobe section resting upon the ground or other support. The drawers then would act against the lock bar, and would be movable and shiftable, to the injuryof the trunk.

For convenience in turning the lock bar,

the upper member thereof may be provided with a suitable projecting handle 25.

Nhatl claim as my invention is: 1. The combination with a trunk having a plurality ofdrawers, of a locking fixture therefor, comprising a two-part-hinged together member engaging the drawers and releasably engaging'the trunk at eigeend bolt of said lock, when the locking fixture ,the bar adjacent its folding joint for pr venting the outward movement said her -a-plurality of drawers, oft. loc therefor, comprising a pi and; carrying a look at its opposite end, the

is in locking pmition, lockingly engaging the trunk, and means engaging a medial portion of the two part member for prevent ing the. outward movement of the medial portion of said member while in locked posh tion. 2. The combination with a trunk having a plurality of drawers, of a locking fixture therefor, comprising a holdable bar positioned in front of the drawers and releasably engaging the trunk at one end-and carrying a lock at its opposite end, the bolt of said look, when the bar is in looking position, lockingly engaging the trunk, and. means connected to the trunk and engaging a. medial portion of the bar for preventing the outward movement of the medial portion of said bar while in locked position.

3. The combination with a trunk having a plurality of drawers, of a locking fixture therefor, comprising a fole'hb e. bar p si' tioned in front of the drawer and releas ably engaging the trunk at carrying a locket its opposite end, the bolt of said look, when the bar is in locking" position, lockingly engaging the trunk, and a bracing arm projecting from a medial portion of the trunk, loclringly engag e while in looking position.

l. The combination with a trunk, having a plurality of drawers, one of said drawers having a recessed plate secured thereto, the

recess extending inwardly, of a locking tim ture, comprising a-jfol'd'able bar positioned in front of the drawers and releasably engaging the trunk. at one end and carrying a lock at its opposite end, the said look, when the baris in looking position, extending into the recess of the plate, and the belt of the look, when the lock is within the'recess, loclringly engaging the trunk, and means con- T ncted tothe trunk and. engaged by the bar for preventing outward movement of the medial portion of the bar while in locked. position.

'5. In combination with a. trunk,

to arm connected to the lower portion trunk, a 'foldable bar positioned in front of the drawers, 'and having a lower reduced end, the said. reduced and releasably engaging the slo'tof theprojecting arm, means connected ,toltlie trunk and engaged by the bar for prerentingoutward movement of the medial portion of the bar while in locked position, and locking mechanism between the upper end of the bar and the trunk. i

6. The combination with a trunk, having a piurality of drawers, ofva locking fixture 'ie end, and

therefor, comprising members hinged to-v gether and engaging the drawers, the end of one hinged member releasabiy engaging the trunk, and the end of the other member having looking engagement with the'trunk, and means connected to the trunk and engaged by the hinged members for preventing outward movement of the hinged portion of the locking member while in engagement with the trunk.

7. In combination with a trunk having a plurality of drawers, one of said drawers having areeessed plate-secured thereto, the recess extending inwardly, of a 1ock1ngfixture, comprlslng a slotted arm connected to the lower portion of the trunk, a foldable bar positioned in front of the drawers, said bar comprlslng members lunged together and engaging the drawers, the end of the the lock is within the recess,

lower member being reduced, the said reduced end reieasably. engagmg the PI'OJQC'tlHg arm, a slotted arm connected the slot of to the trunk and engaged by the hinged, 4

member for preventing the outward movement;v of the hinged portion of the foldable bar while in engagement with the trunk, 1

- and a lock carried by the other hinged member, the sald lock, when the bar is in lockextending into, the recess 'of the bolt of the look, when loekingly ening position, the plate, and 

